California Repertory Company to Present MUTUAL CONSENT

CSULB's California Repertory Company proudly presents the World Premiere of Mutual Consent, written by Nancy Bell and Peter Grandbois and directed by Anne Justine D'Zmura. Opening on Valentine's Day weekend and running through February 21st, Mutual Consent explores what it means to be in a true romantic relationship in today's society.

In an intriguing blend of absurdity and lyricism, this vignette-style drama tells the story of how multiple couples navigate marriage, commitment, and the challenges of contemporary life while exploring the beauties and discontents of love in adulthood. D'Zmura explains that the play "explores the journey we take throughout life and the essential questions we explore when we journey into middle age." The farcical and witty scenarios presented will entice viewers to consider their lives and who they still wish to become.

Anne Justine D'Zmura heads the Theatre Arts Directing Program at California State University, Long Beach. She has served as resident director at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis where she directed Peer Gynt, Bert's Folly, Billy and Dago, and Poster of the Cosmos; artistic associate for the NYC-based The Acting Company where she directed national tours of Macbeth and The Tempest; artistic associate for The Playwrights' Center and co-artistic director for Yale Cabaret. Additional directing credits include numerous productions at South Coast Repertory, The Juilliard School, A Noise Within, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, The Cricket Theatre and CSULB's California Repertory Company and University Players. She is the recipient of numerous grants including the NEA/TCG Directing Fellowship and NY Drama League New Play Development. Anne received her BA from Hampshire College and her MFA in Directing from Yale School of Drama.

Nancy Bell is the Playwright-In-Residence at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, where four of her award-winning community-based contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare have been produced for their Shakespeare in the Streets project. She is also the author of Venus, a finalist for the Next Generation New Play Prize, and The Runaway Cupcake: A Play About Eating for Families Who Eat, commissioned by OnSite Theatre Company. In February, her work Tales of Shakespeare, a play for families with live orchestration, will be performed by the St. Louis Symphony. She is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at St. Louis University. www.NancyEllenBell.com.

Peter Grandbois is the author of seven books, including, most recently, The Girl on the Swing. His poems, stories, and essays have appeared in many journals and have been shortlisted for both Best American Essays and the Pushcart Prize. His plays have been performed in St. Louis, Columbus, Los Angeles, and New York. He is a senior editor at Boulevard magazine and teaches at Denison University in Ohio.

Mutual Consent opens Friday, February 12th, and closes Sunday, February 21st. Performances run February 12th - February 13th and February 16th - February 20th at 8pm, with matinee performances on February 13th, 20th, and 21st at 2pm. This production will be presented in the Studio Theatre on the CSULB Campus, accessible via West Campus Drive. Tickets are $17 for general admission and $14 for students, seniors, and military (with valid ID). Convenient parking is available next to the theatre for $5. For tickets and additional information please call (562) 985-5526 or visit calrep.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.